Lovely Quistis
by mercurymari83
Summary: A new man is after Quistis, and Seifer isn't too happy... What else happens when she and Seifer are on their first mission together? Sequel to “Going Once, Twice, SOLD!” ~*CHAPTER 12 IS UP*~ Enjoy, everyone!
1. Mission

*This disclaimer goes for the entire story; I don't feel like repeating it over and over. Final Fantasy 8 does NOT belong to me! Though it would be really awesome if it did…*  
  
The clock struck eleven in the classroom of Quistis Trepe. She was sitting at her desk, correcting the day's written SeeD exams. Working by a dim lamp, her eyes were ready to pop out of her head. 'Come on, only one more and you're done' she thought to herself as she rubbed her bleary eyes. She grabbed her red pen and looked at the name on the exam. Seifer Almasy. She smiled and found the paper to be 100% correct. "Seifer has really changed for the better," she said aloud. In the few months they had been dating, he became a SeeD and rapidly moved up the ranks. She was so proud of his progress; this test just moved him up to level 25. Quistis yawned, gathered the papers into her briefcase, and left the classroom in search of sleep.  
  
When she finally climbed into her comfy bed, it was midnight. She rolled over and had just dozed of to sleep when… RING RING! Her phone rang to rudely interrupt her beauty sleep. She impatiently grabbed the receiver and groaned, "What do you want?" The voice on the other end said, "Yeah, I'd like to order a medium with anchovies and extra cheese, and a large root beer." She laughed and said, "Seifer, what's going on? I'm tired…" He replied, "I'm lonely over here. Can you come tuck me in, maybe read me a bedtime story?"  
  
"No, Seifer, I really need to get some sleep," she said. He dejectedly replied, "All right then. I had wine, candles, and everything… but I guess we'll have to wait…" She chuckled and said, "I'll see you at breakfast. Love you." He replied, "Love you too, bye." She hung up the phone and dozed off into a peaceful sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
The next morning, Quistis was awakened by the shining of immense sunlight in her eyes. She groaned and pulled the sheets over her head. She had been dreaming about Seifer, and didn't want it to end. She finally sat up in bed and plodded over to the bathroom. She opened the shower curtain and screamed at the sight of someone there.  
  
Seifer was sitting in a bubble bath, smiling at her. She sighed and laughed. He was quite a sight to behold: rubber ducky and scrub brush in hand, and a bathing cap with moogles dancing on it. He had a mischievous grin and swished the water in front of him. "There's room for one more," he said, eyes twinkling like emeralds. She shook her head, laughing, then leaned forward and kissed him. "This was a big surprise. And I've got one for you. You're now a SeeD level 25." His eyes widened and pumped his arms in the air. "All RIGHT!"  
  
She said, "I think a little of Zell is rubbing off on you!" He immediately stopped and said, "Oh no! I'm becoming a Chicken Wuss!" He murmured "Oh, no…" as he slid into the water, and the bubbles engulfed him.  
  
~*~  
  
At breakfast, Seifer and Quistis sat with their friends. Since the auction, Zell and Larissa had gotten together, as well as Selphie and Irvine. They made a pair of great looking couples.  
  
"Hey, I've got great news!" Seifer exclaimed. "I'm now SeeD level 25!" Everyone congratulated him, even Squall. 'I can't believe this is the same Seifer. He's really changed since he hooked up with Quistis' he thought.  
  
They were all having a great time, laughing and joking around. Then the voice of Headmaster Cid Kramer boomed over the loudspeaker, "Would the following people please report immediately to my office: Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmitt, Rinoa Heartilly, Irvine Kinneas, Quistis Trepe," he took a deep breath in, "and Seifer Almasy. Come to my office right now." They heard Edea say, "Your condition!" before the announcement ended.  
  
They all stood up. Zell kissed his girlfriend good-bye, and they all left the cafeteria to report to Cid's office.  
  
It was quite a squeeze into the elevator. Someone kept elbowing Selphie, and Irvine was SURE that someone was pinching his ass.  
  
They finally made it to the third floor. They all saluted the Headmaster, and relaxed.  
  
"I have a mission for all of you. It requires our finest warriors, as you all are. You will all go undercover to unravel a group of thieves." Seifer groaned and asked, "You want us to do the work of the police?" Cid replied, "I'm not finished. This thief has stolen artillery from us. We're not sure who the person is affiliated with, but the artillery he possesses is very potent. It could destroy Balamb, Trabia, and Galbadia Gardens, with some power to spare. You will all be dispatched to Timber to find this person; it was where he was last seen. Here is his picture—memorize it, find him, get our weapons back, and destroy the group he is associated with. And by the way, since you are world famous, disguises and temporary names are in order. I will leave it up to you to determine these factors, but please make them convincing. Dismissed."  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: I know it's a little short, but please give me some feedback: What do you think? Good? Bad? Well, let me know! Flames are welcomed as well! ^^ 


	2. Undercover

The gang sat together in the library, discussing new identities. All kept their first initial the same, and switched surnames. They finally decided on the following names:  
  
Seifer: Salvador Kinneas  
  
Quistis: Quinlan Almasy  
  
Selphie: Saffron Heartilly  
  
Irvine: Ian Trepe  
  
Squall: Saxton Tilmitt  
  
Zell: Zane Leonhart  
  
Rinoa: Risa Dincht  
  
That settled, they all decided on outfits for everyone:  
  
Seifer: In a word, preppy. Hair dyed black, green short sleeve button-down shirt, white tank underneath, cargo shorts, and sneakers.  
  
Quistis: Baggy jeans, tight red shirt that exposed her midriff, revealing a (fake) bellybutton piercing, triple pierced ears, sneakers, and a brown wig, in a bun.  
  
Selphie: Red bellbottom pants, black boots, black tank top, and hair up in two high buns (one on each side—like Sailor Moon ^^)  
  
Irvine: Hair let out (he refused to wear a wig or get it cut), glasses with tape and everything, pocket protector, red suspenders, brown loafers, and Urkel-style highwaters, complete with white socks.  
  
Squall: Hair dyed blonde, jeans, sneakers, and t-shirt.  
  
Zell: Hair messed-up, leather pants and jacket, combat boots, and chains. (A/N: I can imagine him wearing this--^--,^ Me drooling)  
  
Rinoa: Jeans, sporty sneakers, pink halter, hair up in a ponytail.  
  
After they finally determined everything, they set off to Balamb with their disguises in a big bag. As they filed into the cars, Irvine complained, "Why am I such a geek? Why can't I be cool like Zell?" Selphie giggled and said, "We had to cover up your handsome exterior. You're known worldwide for your awesome looks, so we really had to disguise you!" He bought the story, ran a hand through his hair and said, "Yeah, I guess I AM pretty hot…" Selphie rolled her eyes and thought, 'Yeah right. I just told him that to shut him up!'  
  
~*~  
  
They all ran to the Balamb Train Station. The next train to Timber was to leave in two minutes. Zell lagged behind; he was carrying the immense load of disguises. "H-Hey guys? A little help?" he panted. Seifer grabbed the bag and said, "Sure, Wheezy." They paid for their tickets and boarded the train.  
  
As they approached their stop, they donned their costumes and prepared to get off. Seifer couldn't resist the temptation to flick Quistis' bellybutton ring. She giggled and said, "Hey, I'm ticklish!" He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "We'll see just how ticklish you are later on!" Squall looked over and said, "Knock it off. I don't want to know about you love lives, so keep it to yourselves." Seifer said, "Oh really? How's THIS?" as he pulled Quistis into a long kiss. He dipped her toward the floor, and her wig fell to the floor. She blushed as she grabbed her wig to put it back on, and the train stopped. "Remember your names. We'll split up and look for the thief. We'll meet at the Timber Maniacs building at 8:00 tonight. If you find him, apprehend him and notify me. Let's move out."  
  
~*~  
  
By noon, Quistis was getting frustrated. She had run into everyone at least twice; she had to defend Irvine about 5 times from muggers. Nobody had any success yet. She sat in the pub with a Bloody Mary, talking to the drunks for information. Her work finally paid off. The bartender knew the thief; he frequented the bar often. When she asked him for more information, he wouldn't tell her. She gave up hope and got up to leave. She turned around in her barstool, and bumped her nose right into a man's chest.  
  
"Ow! I'm so sorry!" she apologized as she looked up to the man's face. He was very attractive, with black hair, almond eyes, clear fair skin, and a white smile. She looked closer, and immediately recognized him. He was the thief! Or at least, it looked a whole lot like the picture. The man laughed and said, "No harm done. You OK?" She nodded her head. He said, "I haven't seen you here before, I'm Kyle." He extended his hand to her, and she took it. "I'm Quinlan." He grinned and asked, "Can I buy you a drink?"  
  
She shook her head and said, "No, I was just leaving. Nice to have met you, Kyle." She turned to leave, and she definitely felt his eyes following her out the door. Then she broke into a run, to alert Squall and the others.  
  
  
  
Kyle sat at the bar, holding a Scotch. He muttered to himself, "Quinlan, eh? You'll be mine by Saturday" as he downed his drink on one swift gulp.  
  
~*~  
  
Quistis was getting frustrated. 'Where is everyone? Right when I need them, I can't find them!' She looked over her shoulder while she was running. Suddenly, she slammed right into Squall. About 30 dreamy-eyed girls were following him, asking for his digits. She whispered in his ear, "I found what we're looking for." He asked with an urgent tone, "Where?" She replied, "the pub." He thought for a moment, and said, "I'll check it out, and you notify everyone else. We'll meet outside the pub." She nodded and ran off again, and was nearly trampled by Squall's entourage.  
  
~*~  
  
Within ten minutes, she had found everyone, and they stood outside, chatting. Squall had gone in, and they awaited his return. "You sure you saw him?" asked Selphie. "Maybe you mistook him for someone else…" Quistis shook her head. I'm sure it was him. He introduced himself as Kyle, and we briefly talked. He matched the picture exactly."  
  
Zell said, "You TALKED to him? I'm surprised he didn't attack you!" She replied, "It's not like I had a choice. I bumped into him—literally—and he started the conversation." Seifer stepped in and said, "He better not be getting TOO friendly" while cracking his knuckles menacingly. Just then, Squall came out. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sorry. Couldn't find him." They all groaned. "Back to square one" Selphie said. They split up and kept their search on. Before she left, Squall told Quistis one thing: "Now we know for a fact that Kyle is here. Do all you can to keep him here, if you see him again."  
  
~*~  
  
An hour later she was beginning to lose hope. She had been in every building at least twice, the pub five times. She walked down the street, lost in thought, when a man came up behind her. He called, "Quinlan!" She turned and came face-to-face with Kyle! He had a smirk on his face; 'Almost like Seifer' she thought. He said, "How are ya? Good to see you again!" he said with a smile. "You ran off before I got to compliment you. I really dig your piercings. Where'd you get 'em?"  
  
Quistis' heart was beating fast. She needed to stand and keep him talking; eventually, she hoped that one of the others would come by. She couldn't arrest him on her own; she didn't want to risk being overtaken, beaten, or possibly raped. She couldn't tell around this guy. "Oh, I got these done in Balamb" she lied. Kyle thought and said, "I'll have to go later on. Maybe I'll pierce my tongue…" Quistis gave a fake smile and said, "Sounds pretty wicked."  
  
Kyle moved closer to her and said, "So, are you from around here? Nobody as good lookin' as you 'round here" he said. She let out a nervous chuckle and said, "Thanks. I'm from Deling City. But, um, I really need to go. I'm late for a meeting! See ya!" and she ran off. He raised an eyebrow and licked his lips. His brown eyes sparkled in the light, and he ducked into an alley. 


	3. Leaving for Balamb

Quistis ran with a weird feeling in her stomach. Kyle definitely came on to her, and she wasn't sure whether or not to tell Seifer. He'd start a fight, which would probably expose their identities prematurely. If she didn't tell him, and pretended that she was into Kyle, which would keep him in town until they could take action. 'Maybe I should have been the nerd instead of Irvine. This is a confusing situation!' she thought.  
  
She went into the weapons shop, and-surprise surprise-saw Zell drooling over the Ehrgeiz upgrades. "Sweeeeet. Dragon's Fist." She walked over and handed him a handkerchief and said, "Zane-you're drooling." He seemed to be coming out of a trance while he took the kerchief. He dabbed at his face and said, "What's up?" She said, "I found what we're looking for-AGAIN." He frowned and said, "How come you're the only one?" She grabbed his arm and dragged him outside.  
  
She looked around, then lowered her voice and said, "I think we should find Squall and tell him. Plus, I think it would be wise for me to patrol with someone. He came on to me, and I don't want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time with him-you know what I'm sayin'?"  
  
Zell nodded and said, "I'll patrol with you. Better than SuperDork or Seifer. He might blow our cover. Let's go find Squall!" They ran down the street.  
  
~*~  
  
Later that night, Quistis walked up to the Timber Hotel. She was wiped out. After she and Zell found Squall and told him the news, they looked for Kyle for hours. It was now 11:30, so she decided to call it a night. She asked the lady at the front for the key, and went up to their room. The three girls shared a room, and the four guys shared another room. She opened the door and saw that Selphie had already come back.  
  
"Hey Saffron" Quistis tiredly said. "When did you get here?" Selphie replied, "A couple of minutes ago. Ian and I had to patrol together-you wouldn't believe how many people tried to beat him up today! Bunch of meanies."  
  
Quistis smiled and said, "Well, I'm going to take a shower and hit the sack. I'm beat."  
  
~*~  
  
At 7:00 the next morning, the phone rang as a rude wake-up call. Quistis picked up the receiver and said, "Hello?" with a yawn. "Quinlan?" a familiar voice said. She sat up straight in bed, and the hairs on her arms stood straight up.  
  
"Kyle?" she asked quietly, not wanting to disturb Rinoa or Selphie.  
  
He said, "Yeah, remember me? From yesterday?" She nodded and replied, "Yeah, um, how did you know I was here?" He replied, "I saw you go into the Timber Hotel, so I called and asked for the number to your room. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I'm gonna go to Balamb in a little while to get that tongue piercing done. Do you wanna come with me?"  
  
She took a sharp breath of air in, and a hard pit formed in her stomach. "How about I meet you at the Train Station in one hour?" He said, "Sounds great. See you soon!" She heard the click of the phone, and she quietly replaced the receiver to the phone. She ran to the bathroom and quickly got dressed, carefully putting all her piercings in, and fixing her wig. Then she quietly left the room and went next door.  
  
She knocked quietly, because she knew the only one awake was Squall. She heard a crash from within, and a curse. The door opened, and she saw Squall's tired face. "Saxton, let me in-NOW." He nodded and ran a hair through his bleached blond hair. She entered and had to step over girlie magazines and chip bags to get halfway inside. 'Irvine's a major pig' she thought.  
  
"So what's up?" Squall asked. She lowered her voice and said, "Kyle just called me." Squall nearly fell off the couch. "WHAT?!" he whispered. "He saw me come in the Hotel, got my number and called. He's going to Balamb, and he invited me to go with him. I said I would. We're meeting at the Train Station in about 45 minutes."  
  
Squall stood up and paced. After a while he said, "Okay, I'm sending Zell and Selphie to follow you guys. That way, you won't be alone if he tries to hurt you. Just try to get as much information as you can from him. I know it'll be hard, but you have to pretend that you like him; we need to know where he's keeping the artillery. Play up to him, get on his good side. Now go tell Selphie to get ready, and I'll tell Zell. They'll leave a little after you, board the same train, and follow you at a distance while you're in Balamb. Dismissed." She nodded and ran out.  
  
Little did they know, Seifer was listening to the whole conversation. He got dressed and snuck out, soon after Zell left.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Hey! Hope this chapter wasn't too boring, not much happened in it. Well, Next chapter is up soon! 


	4. Envy

Quistis approached the Train Station with a knot in her stomach, and chills to accompany them—despite the 80-degree temperatures. She turned the corner, and caught sight of Kyle. He ran over to her and handed her a ticket. He had the same smirk as before, and said, "What's up, Quinlan? I'm happy you decided to join me. You thinkin' of gettin' something pierced too?" He draped an arm over her shoulder and she weakly smiled. 'His cologne smells like Seifer's,' she noted. She gave a forced smile and said, "Yeah, I just might get another piercing." They walked to the ticket taker. While she handed the man her ticket, she casually glanced over her shoulder, and was relieved to see Zell and Selphie buying their tickets.  
  
Kyle let Quistis board before him, and he boarded after her. They sat in adjoining seats. She grabbed a magazine off the table, and it happened to be the same issue of Timber Maniacs she had read on her way to Deling City, the day before the auction. 'So many things have changed since then,' she thought. She lightly traced the cover with her finger, remembering that first day with Seifer.  
  
Kyle brought her back to reality by waving a hand in front of her face. "You okay, Quinlan?" he asked. She looked over at him and smiled, lost in his soulful brown eyes. "I'm…fine…" she distantly said. "You have…beautiful eyes." His chocolate orbs twinkled as he laughed. "Thanks. You've also got the most amazing ice blue eyes I've ever seen." She blushed and said, "Thank you."  
  
During this whole episode, they had an eavesdropper. Seifer sat in the seat behind them, with a newspaper up to his face. He was so angry, he ripped the paper up into bite-size shreds. Jealousy's emerald fires raged in his eyes. But he decided to listen to the conversation a little further. He didn't want to rip Kyle's throat out in front of all these people.  
  
"So where are you from?" Quistis asked Kyle, unaware that Seifer heard every word. Kyle replied, "Well, I kinda roam around. Timber is the place I've stayed in the longest—almost 6 years. I was an orphan, so I was shipped all over to different places. Everywhere I went, I got into trouble, and nobody wanted to deal with me." She sympathetically said, "That's so sad. What do you do now?" He looked over at her and replied, "I get by. As long as I've got my place in Timber, it's all good." They smiled at each other.  
  
The voice of the conductor came over the loudspeaker. "Next stop, Balamb!" Quistis and Kyle stood and got ready to get off. The doors opened, and they proceeded to the piercing shop. Needless to say, her stomach had the major butterflies as she stepped inside. 'What if someone notices that mine aren't real?' she thought. Kyle walked up to the counter and told the lady in the front that he wanted one tongue piercing. The tattooed muscular woman behind the counter asked, "Does your girlfriend want one too?" He blushed and said, "She's not my girlfriend, just a friend."  
  
Then he thought, 'Not for long if I have my way.' Quistis said, "I'll think about it while he has his done." The woman shrugged, and led Kyle to an open chair. She watched as the woman sterilized the post, and told Kyle to open his mouth. He winked at Quistis before the lady jammed the steel through his tongue. He squeezed his eyes, then opened them, remaining very calm. It seemed to cause him almost no pain. The woman gave him some potions to ease the swelling.  
  
The woman turned around and asked Quistis, "So you want one?" She thought for a moment and said, "Sure. I'd like to pierce my tongue too, please." 'Nothing like spontaneity,' she thought. She paid, took a potion beforehand to numb her tongue, and sat down. She opened her mouth at request, and the metal pierced through the flesh of her tongue.  
  
~*~  
  
At that moment, Zell and Selphie said "OOH" in unison. Neither of them thought that Quistis would ever have the nerve to do something so impulsively, especially this.  
  
Seifer was speechless, from his secret spot. "What the hell is she doing?!" he whispered to no one.  
  
~*~  
  
She opened her eyes. 'That was nothing' she thought. She got up from the chair and said, "Thank you" to the woman, and left with Kyle.  
  
Outside the shop, Kyle said, "Lemme see yours." She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. He raised his eyebrows and nodded his head. "Nice" he commented. "You look great with that pierced tongue." She replied, "Thanks. No let me see YOURS." He laughed and obliged. She admired it and complimented him on it. Then he said, "So what do you wanna do now? Wanna go back to Timber?"  
  
She thought to herself, 'Maybe if I stay here a little longer, I can find out exactly where he lives. I've got Zell and Selphie, so I should be fine. Besides, another hour never killed anyone.'  
  
"Nah, let's stay for awhile. Why don't we get something to eat, and walk to the docks?" she offered. He put an arm around her waist and whispered, "That sounds great, Quinlan." He kissed her ear, then her cheek, her chin, and back up to her ear. Shivers ran up, down, and all around her body. 'This isn't RIGHT!' she told herself. 'I have a boyfriend! A handsome boyfriend named Seifer who loves me! Don't let this imposter get away with it!' But her body didn't respond. She only smiled, and walked with Kyle to a nearby restaurant.  
  
Seifer saw this and his blood heated. 'NO! He's crossed the line! Nobody but ME can do that! I don't care if this is a mission, she should have gotten her information already! I'm ready to put this guy in his place. NOBODY moves in on MY girl…'  
  
Selphie caught sight of a black-haired man making a beeline toward Kyle and Quistis. She quickly did a double-take, and grabbed Zell's arm. "That's Seifer!" she whispered to him. They ran over to the fuming man, about to strike. Seifer was about to call out, when Zell clamped a hand over his mouth. "No way, man, don't ruin this! We're so close…"  
  
Seifer's raging eyes scanned the streets. "Where is that little turd?" he growled through his teeth. Selphie grabbed Seifer's arm with amazing strength. "Hold up. Salvador, give it ten more minutes. Go cool down, and when we move in, we'll get you. We'll trail Quinlan, and you just hold tight. I'm sure she'll put him in his place when she finds out the location of the goods. Now go." Seifer angrily replied, "No. I'm not leaving. I'll follow her with you guys. I'm not letting my Quinlan out of my sight. I promise to hold my temper…" Zell and Selphie nodded to each other, and continued their spy mission.  
  
They went inside the restaurant and got a table near Quistis and Kyle. The two were eating their food, and talking.  
  
"So, do you have a boyfriend?" Kyle asked her. Her eyes widened and she fibbed, "No." He moved his face closer to hers and said, "Really? That's hard to believe… So what kind of guys do you like?" She thought and remembered Squall's advice to 'play up' to him. She replied, "I like sweet, confident, respectful, handsome guys who know how to treat a lady right." He smirked and said, "Well, I like girls who are attractive, funny, enjoyable… in a word, you."  
  
She raised her eyebrows and he leaned over the table. His lips converged with hers in a crushing match. He pressed his lips against hers, in a fiery embrace. 'Yes! She's all mine now!' Kyle thought as he eased his warm tongue into her mouth and traced her teeth.  
  
Yet Quistis was less than enthusiastic. Bells, sirens, and alarms went off in her head. 'This is DEFINETLY not right!!!' she screamed to herself. 'Stop this!!!' But half of her was enjoying it, and the other half thought of Seifer. 'He'll be devastated when he finds out…' the angel side of her conscience said. 'Oh, but it feels so good, doesn't it? You want to continue this, Quistis!' her devil side urged.  
  
"FIRAGA!!!" screamed a familiar man's voice, jarring her from her pleasure/confusion.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! It's a little longer than the others; I've been formulating it for a while! More to come soon! And don't forget to review before you leave! 


	5. A Helping Hand

Kyle and Quistis whipped their heads toward the source of the spell. He shouted, "PROTECT!" and cast the spell on Quistis, then himself. The Firaga spell dissolved as it touched them. As the sparks dissipated, she was shocked to see Seifer next to an overturned table, Hyperion in hand, arm still extended toward Kyle. Emerald fires of rage burned in his eyes, aimed at the man who tried to take his only source of happiness.  
  
Quistis was even more shocked to see that Kyle had unsheathed a set of deadly sharp Katal, the same weapons that Kiros had used so long ago. His black feathery eyebrows were creased into a frown; his almond shaped eyes were narrowed into slits. Determination soiled his face.  
  
The two men stood with weapons unsheathed, sizing each other up. Unfortunately, Quistis was right between the two furious males. She took a deep breath and backed away from the two of them, toward the door of the restaurant. The last thing she wanted was to be between two men with deadly weapons. But before she could leave, Kyle shouted, "BLIZZAGA!" to freeze the door shut, trapping them inside. "You're not going anywhere, Quinlan," he said, never taking his eyes from Seifer.  
  
This enraged Seifer even more, and he lunged to attack with his gunblade. He pulled the trigger, as it seemed to slice through his opponent. He looked back in dismay as he saw it did no damage. Kyle had narrowly escaped the attack.  
  
Kyle said, "I don't know who you are, a jealous ex or something, but you need to mind your own business!" Seifer growled through his teeth, "Never!" In response, he lunged again with his Hyperion. Only the attack was cut short when he saw Kyle take Quistis close to him. He held a Katal blade to her throat and said, "You'll have to kill her to get to me." Then he kissed her pallid cheek, magnifying Seifer's resentment.  
  
Quistis' breath now came in short spurts, and her ice blue eyes darted frantically around. They welled up with tears, and overflowed. The wet drops fell quickly down her pale face.  
  
Seifer was torn. He couldn't possibly injure Quistis, but he couldn't let that maniac leave with her. 'I might not ever see her again, if he leaves with her' he thought. 'What do I do?!' he anxiously thought. But time was wasting, as Kyle was inching toward the exit, with Quistis in his arms. Blood rushed through his head, pounding at his temples. Uncertainty screamed through his head. Thoughts raced frantically throughout every corner of his mind. He suddenly blurted, "SLOW!" and aimed the spell at his opponent. Kyle simply held up his spare Katal, and the spell reflected off. "If that's all you've got, then you're not a worthy rival for me. See ya!"  
  
To everyone's alarm, he dissipated before their eyes, still holding Quistis captive. She uttered one final yelp of terror, then disappeared. Seifer's pupils widened, and he ran to the spot she had just stood in. "QUISTIS!!" he screamed out loud. Anger, disappointment, dread, and grief resonated in his cry. He was devastated at the loss of his only love. Nobody noticed that he used her real name; no one cared. Quistis was gone, to Hyne-knows- where, and they didn't know how to get her back.  
  
Selphie knelt on the floor with Zell. She looked to Seifer, then Zell, and let one solitary tear trickle its way down her face.  
  
~*~  
  
"Mmph…" Quistis regained consciousness and realized that she was bound and gagged. She opened her eyes and looked around. She recognized the place. 'So familiar…' The cement floor was cracked with age, and the walls of the tunnel-like place were old as well. A wrought iron door was next to her, and a waterwheel was on her other side. Then she did a double-take and realized where she was. 'We're in the Deling City sewers!' she thought. 'I know this place like the back of my hand! If I can get free, it'll be cake to find the exit…'  
  
"So you're awake, Quinlan. Or should I say Quistis Trepe?"  
  
~*~  
  
Seifer still stood in the place Quistis was taken from. 'Hyne, no!' he thought. 'It's all my fault that she's gone…' he thought. Then he heard another voice inside his head, one he had never heard before. ~Don't despair, Seifer. You've been good to me, and I shall reward you.~  
  
Seifer's blood ran cold and whispered out loud, "Who are you?"  
  
The voice came back and said, ~I am your Guardian Force, Bahamut. I am here to guide you to your love.~  
  
In disbelief, Seifer whispered, "How come you didn't talk to me before?"  
  
He heard a sigh, and Bahamut replied, ~Look, I'll make it short and sweet. You have full compatibility with me, so I've become part of your mind. A subconscious, if you will. Now, I know where your enemy has taken your love. Are you prepared to take on the challenge to get her back?~  
  
Seifer answered, "You know it. Lead me to the jackass."  
  
He heard a chuckle in his ear, and his Guardian Force answered, ~Quistis is far below the ground, in a city to the west. And hurry; she's in trouble. I will be here when you need me…~ and the voice faded into the back of Seifer's mind. He nodded, and turned to Zell and Selphie.  
  
"We're gonna go get her back. Let's go."  
  
~*~ 


	6. Victim

"Seifer? How do you know where she is?" Selphie asked quietly. "I know you're upset, but you can't just—KNOW where she is. Did he leave any clues?"  
  
Seifer's glazed eyes looked over to the weary brunette girl. "I know where she is. I don't know how, but I know. Now are you two with me or not?"  
  
Zell stepped forward and said, "I'm in. Let's get her back!"  
  
Selphie nodded in agreement. They walked out of the restaurant, and headed for the Balamb Train Station.  
  
'I'm coming, Quistis. Hold on!' Seifer thought.  
  
~*~  
  
Kyle walked over to Quistis, and stood in a patch of light in front of her. The particles of sunlight gleamed off of the Katal blades. "Quistis Trepe. How very nice to meet you." He sliced her gag with a Katal blade, and took it out of her mouth. She began to cough uncontrollably.  
  
When she regained control, she weakly said, "Why did you do this to me?" He put his face close to hers and smirked. Oh, that awful smirk. It made him seem imbalanced, or that he would commit any crime, just to see if he could get away with it.  
  
"Why did I do this to you? You should know of all people! I did this to keep you with me! I couldn't let that psycho Seifer have you!" Her mouth was agape, and he continued. "Yeah, I knew it was Seifer. And Selphie and Zell followed you! I just couldn't have that. Don't you see? I need you. For my plan. See, I'm not like other people. Did you see me teleport out of there? Did you see me use magic? Well, DID YOU?!" he screamed, and held his hand up to smack her.  
  
She shrank back into the chair and whispered, "I saw you."  
  
He brought his hand down, and put his hands to his face. "My mother was a sorceress, and my father was a SeeD. When they had me, I was given the ability to use magic and teleport like a sorceress, and the capability to use weapons like a SeeD. I used my powers in school, and the kids teased me. So I fought back. One time I went too far. I used a Thundaga spell against a 7-year-old kid. A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD KID! I injured him so badly, that he almost died. He spent three years in a hospital room. After that, my parents abandoned me. They didn't want to deal with me, and their own problems kept them occupied. So I hopped from shelter to shelter, learning about my powers on my own. But I promised myself that I'd get them back. And that's why I need you, Quistis."  
  
He looked over to her, and she looked at him with those mournful blue eyes. She quietly said, "I still don't understand. Who are your parents?"  
  
He turned away from her and whispered, "Cid and Edea Kramer."  
  
~*~  
  
On the train, Seifer grabbed a magazine off the table in the SeeD cabin. Timber Maniacs. He flipped through, and waited for the train to reach its destination.  
  
Finally, the conductor said, "Next stop, Deling City!"  
  
Seifer, Zell, and Selphie stood and got ready to get off. The door swooshed open, and they stepped out to the bustling Deling City. Seifer asked, "When you guys were assigned to assassinate Edea, you went through the sewers, right?"  
  
Zell replied, "Yeah, we did. Lots of dangerous monsters down there!"  
  
Seifer shook his head and replied, "I don't care. Quistis is down in the sewers, and you two have to lead me there. Let's go." He turned to walk away, and beckoned them to follow.  
  
Selphie ran up to him and said, "But where in the sewers IS she? There are miles of tunnels down there. It'll take weeks to find her if we don't know where we're going!"  
  
Seifer turned to her and said, "We'll know when we get there. I've got all the information I need in here." He pointed to his head. "Now let's hightail it!"  
  
~*~  
  
Squall sat in the hotel room, playing cards with Irvine and Rinoa. "Wonder how they're doing?" Rinoa thought out loud.  
  
Squall replied, "If they were in danger, we'd know. Hey Irvine, go wake Seifer up. It's almost noon."  
  
Irvine nodded and knocked on Seifer's bedroom door. When no response came, he frowned and knocked harder. Still no answer. "Come on, Seify! Wakey Wakey!" he said, as he opened the door and looked inside. "Seifer?" He went inside and looked around.  
  
Squall and Rinoa were startled when Irvine came running out of Seifer's room a minute later. "He's not in there!" he exclaimed.  
  
"WHAT?!" Squall shouted. "I don't believe this! He disobeyed my order! Guys, get your disguises on! We're going to Balamb!" He started walking to the closet, and was stopped by a voice.  
  
~Stop, Squall. They are not where you think.~  
  
He stopped short and looked around. 'What?' he thought. 'Who are you?'  
  
The voice responded, ~My name is Diablos. Your comrades are in extreme danger. To find them, you must venture underground, in a city to the northwest of here.~  
  
Squall whispered out loud, "Why haven't you talked before? And how do you know?"  
  
The GF chortled in his ear and replied, ~GFs only talk when they have full compatibility with the host, and the host is in dire need. You have taken good care of me, and this is my reward to you. Now go; I will be here when you need me…~ Diablos' voice subsided into the back of Squall subconscious mind.  
  
He turned to Rinoa and Irvine and said, "Change of plans. We're going to Deling City. Hurry up, everyone's in trouble!"  
  
The look on Squall's face was earnest, so they didn't question him. Within five minutes, they were at the Timber Train Station, buying tickets to the City of Deling.  
  
~*~  
  
Quistis looked to Kyle in disbelief. "Headmaster Cid and Matron?" she quietly said. "I had no idea they had a child!"  
  
He looked over at her and said, "I couldn't let them get away with abandoning me! So I teleported in, and went to the main artillery storage area. I stole enough firepower to level Deling City, Balamb, and all three Gardens, with some to spare. I stored it in my Timber apartment, but then I saw you. Your disguise couldn't fool me. Ever since I had seen your picture everywhere, as one of the heroes of the world, one of those who killed Ultimecia, I knew you'd be perfect."  
  
She hesitantly asked, "Perfect for what?"  
  
He looked over to her and replied, "Perfect as a victim."  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: dun dun DUN! Hope you like how I'm doing here! Review, and maybe I'll continue the story… ^^ 


	7. Hallucinations

A/N: Hey! I know it's been awhile since the last chapter—I've been SWAMPED with work and finals. Hope you enjoy the chapter! And don't forget to review to tell me how I'm doing! Thanks for reading! Enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
Seifer, Selphie, and Zell climbed down the slimy ladder to the depths of the Deling Sewers. "Yuck!" Selphie complained. "This is so gross!" She jumped off the ladder and frantically wiped her hands on Zell's jacket. "Hey!" Zell shouted.  
  
Annoyed, Seifer said, "Will you two shut up?! If Kyle hears us, he'll just teleport with Quistis somewhere else! Now let's make sure we're all equipped. You guys have your weapons, right?" In response, Selphie took out her nunchaku and Zell held up his gloved fists. Seifer nodded and said, "Let's move."  
  
They began to run through the sewers, but were soon ambushed by three Red Bats and two Creeps. Seifer slashed through the bats, Zell punched the Creeps, and Selphie unleashed magic on all of them. Before long, they were facing at the corpses of the monsters at their feet. "Come on!" Seifer shouted, while hopping onto a waterwheel. "Wait for me!" Selphie cried, jumping on last.  
  
'Where would I be if I were a kidnapper?' Seifer thought. His bright green orbs inspected every shadow, nook, and cranny large enough for a person. 'Dammit, Quistis! Give me a clue! Anything!'  
  
"Seifer! We may have a problem…" Selphie was crouching on the ground near the waterwheel. Inspecting a puddle of blood on the floor, she dipped her fingers in. "This is blood—and it's still warm. Now, if this is human blood… Quistis either really kicked Kyle's ass, or—"  
  
Seifer interrupted and said, "I don't want to think about it. Any other clues?" Selphie pointed ahead, and there was a trail of blood spots leading around a corner. Seifer unsheathed his gunblade and whispered, "Bring it on, son of a bitch!"  
  
The three followed the trail around the corner, weapons poised to strike.  
  
~*~  
  
Quistis' eyes reflected dread, while Kyle's only reflected desire. "Quistis, you understand, don't you? I need to keep you as my hostage, my victim!" She desperately cried, "But WHY?! Kyle, you could do so much good, yet you choose to live this destructive life! Don't do this!"  
  
He smiled at her, and kissed her forehead. "I knew that was how you'd react. Nobly pleading for your life, and making me feel like it's all for my good. So righteous…" He turned and swished his Katal through the air. "No, it would be a shame to ruin your perfect body with slashes and slits. Hmm, how should I do it?"  
  
She whispered, "Do what?" But she already knew the answer.  
  
Kyle wildly laughed and replied, "To kill you, of course!"  
  
~*~  
  
Squall, Rinoa, and Irvine ran through the streets of Deling City. "Does anybody have any clue where the sewers are?" Irvine asked. Rinoa asked, "Are you SURE that we're supposed to go to the sewers, Squall?"  
  
Squall nodded his head. "I'm positive. But we need to find the entrance! None of us were ever in the sewers, when we were assigned to assassinate Edea. I can only recall one entrance, when Caraway gave us the mission briefing. Come on!" They ran toward the archway in the heart of the city's roadways.  
  
~*~  
  
"W-What the—" Zell stuttered. The three stood in front of the biggest missiles they had ever seen. "Oh. Shit." Seifer shook his head and whispered, "Well, now we know where the missiles are. We better pray that we don't set them off." They did an about face, and tiptoed away from the artillery. "Oh man! I may never see Larissa again! There's so many hot dogs I haven't eaten; so many Combat King issues I haven't read!" Zell moaned. Selphie forcefully smacked Zell in the face. "Pull yourself together man! The sooner you stop worrying, the sooner we can get Quistis and get the hell out of here!" Seifer and Zell stared at her with astonished faces. "All right Selphie!" Seifer commended. "Now let's go!"  
  
"I guess the blood was just planted," said Selphie as she ran. "But I know she's still here somewhere…"  
  
Seifer nodded and said, "Let's hurry up and find her."  
  
~*~  
  
Quistis watched Kyle pace back and forth in front of her. He finally asked, "I need to know one thing: if you weren't with Seifer, would you have kissed me back? Would you have loved me back?"  
  
Without pausing, she replied, "Yes."  
  
'This may be my last chance to escape death. I need to play up to him, as Squall advised. Maybe it'll save my life!' she thought.  
  
He smiled and said, "We'll see." He pulled up another chair in front of her and whispered, "Let's see if you can stay true to Seifer, or come to me." He roughly grabbed her to him and crushed his lips against hers. The kiss was smothering, and mainly a demonstration of dominance on Kyle's part. He wanted to see how pliable she was, as he deepened it, and softened it. Though disgusted, Quistis kissed back. 'Don't back off, Quistis. You can't afford to!'  
  
Soon, he pulled away from her and took a deep breath in. "Hmm. I wonder," he said. "You don't seem the type to just cheat on your boyfriend on impulse. Either you're desperate for your life, or you really like me. I wonder which it is?" His coffee-colored eyes sparkled as he lit a cigarette. He closed his eyes, took a deep drag, and blew out the gray smoke from his mouth. Running his slender fingers through his short black hair, he closed his eyes. Then he said, "I really don't care what the reason is. I just need to keep you as a hostage until my demands are met."  
  
She hung her head. Kyle walked over to her, and began to stroke her face. Quistis asked quietly, "What are your demands?" He shook his head and replied, "That's a secret—for now. The fun's about to get started, you'll see! I've got a little surprise in store for your friends, who happen to be very near. In fact, Seifer, Zell and Selphie are in the sewers as we speak, searching for you. On top of that, Squall, Rinoa and Irvine are en route to the sewer entrance! The fun is just beginning, Quistis, it's only just beginning."  
  
She paused for a moment and asked, "What happens now?" in a fearful tone. Her cerulean eyes mirrored her feelings of dread and horror.  
  
Kyle let out a chuckle from the depths of his throat. "Let's see…" he pondered several options, then said, "I want to see what you've got. Might as well, before I take your life." He sliced the ropes that bound her, and she fell to the floor. He sat next to her on the floor, then tucked a stray lock of her golden hair behind her ear. He whispered words of a spell, and red particles flowed from his fingers to Quistis' heart. Her eyes glazed over for a moment, and she looked around. All she saw was her bedroom back at Garden, and Seifer sitting next to her.  
  
Kyle gently began to kiss her face, and he firmly held her body close to his. She could feel his heartbeat racing through her shirt, and his body heat against her skin. Every moment of the embrace thrilled her, and she craved more. "Seifer," she whispered. All the while, Kyle thought, 'What does it matter that she doesn't love me? As long as she's under my hallucination spell, to her, I am Seifer."  
  
~*~  
  
Squall, Rinoa, and Irvine finally reached the archway in the center of Deling City. Irvine ran full speed at the door in order to break it down. He smashed his body against the door, but failed to open it. He landed with a thud onto the pavement. "Ouch…" he moaned. Rubbing his temples, Squall shook his head and walked calmly to the door. He turned the handle and the door opened. "Get up, jackass!" Squall said. "We don't have any more time to waste!" They entered the room and Rinoa spotted a trapdoor. She swung it open, and a ladder was revealed. "Yes! This must be it!" she exclaimed in relief. Then they proceeded to climb down into the darkness of the Deling Sewers.  
  
~*~ 


	8. Kidnapped

A/N: I'd like to take a moment and thank everyone for their nice supportive reviewing; I really appreciate it! And special thanks to those who have reviewed every (or almost every) chapter: Faltering Hues, Athena88, Quistis' twin sister Sunny, Dragoness Eve, METATTEM, and Heavenz Little Angel! Sorry if I forgot anybody! Anyway, on with the story!  
  
  
  
Seifer's frustrated gaze swept every inch of every corridor he passed through. Selphie and Zell followed closely, and didn't dare to disturb him. They just ran alongside, with eyes peeled and ears open.  
  
All of a sudden, they heard a bloodcurdling scream echo through the darkness. The three froze, and didn't dare to breathe. The screech resonated through their ears, and their blood ran cold as they recognized it. Dread burned in their stomachs like ulcers. Selphie whispered what the other two were thinking at the moment. "Rinoa?"  
  
Zell looked at her in shock, and Seifer nodded slightly. 'Hyne, please let her be all right,' Seifer silently prayed. Though he wasn't in love with her anymore, she was still part of the team, and one of his best friends. Reluctantly, he said, "Let's just keep going. She's not alone; Squall and Irvine are sure to be with her. We need to focus on Quistis right now; she's all alone with Kyle!"  
  
Selphie nodded, and Zell straightened. They followed Seifer through the next gateway, but their thoughts now concerned Rinoa.  
  
  
  
~A FEW MINUTES EARLIER~  
  
  
  
When Rinoa backed away from the ladder to explore her surroundings, her warrior's instinct was to unsheathe her weapon and look for danger. She held her pinwheel tightly and looked around the musty sewer passage. Her sorceress' intuition was alerting her that someone similar to her was near. 'Could it be another sorceress?' she asked herself silently.  
  
Sensing something was wrong with Rinoa, Squall asked, "Have you found anything? Do you sense something?" She frowned and held a finger to her lips, motioning for him to be quiet for a moment. Tilting her head, she could sense a strange energy. She said, "Someone with a similar body chemical makeup is close in proximity."  
  
With a blank look on his face, Irvine said, "In English, please?"  
  
Rinoa shook her head and replied, "Let me dumb it down a little for you. I can sense that someone similar to me in chemical makeup is very near. Meaning, there is a sorceress, or a sorcerer, close by."  
  
She walked over to a wall and said, "This is where the strongest vibes are coming from. If only I could…" She paused and closed her eyes. Huge angel wings unfolded from her back, as in her Limit Break. The pure, snow-white wings radiated white light, and her feet slightly lifted off the floor. She brought her arms up and chanted a spell. Azure sparkles of magic surged from her fingertips into the wall. The wall began to wave like a mirage, and then it dissolved altogether, revealing a hidden passage. Rinoa's wings folded onto her back, and her feet touched back onto the ground.  
  
Squall and Irvine looked in disbelief at Rinoa for a moment. She flipped her hair and said, "Surprised, eh? Well, don't just stand there! Come on! Someone obviously didn't want this passage to be found, so something must be hidden there. And I've got a feeling that the someone is Kyle, and the something is Quistis."  
  
She cautiously walked into the passage first, weapon poised to strike. Halfway in, she turned around to make sure Squall and Irvine were following. Sure enough, they were vigilantly guarding her from behind. Suddenly, something knocked her weapon out of her hand, and she whipped her head over to the assailant. A cloaked figure roughly put her into a neck lock, and put a knife to her throat. She screamed, and the two disappeared into the shadows of the tunnels. Squall and Irvine called her name in unison, but to no avail.  
  
Squall's hand curled into a fist, and reluctantly said, "We should continue. We have no idea where she is, and she may be in the same spot as Quistis. Let's continue down this passage, and see where it goes."  
  
Irvine nodded and followed Squall down the secret corridor; not knowing what surprises lay ahead.  
  
  
  
~MEANWHILE~  
  
  
  
Kyle held Quistis to him; she was still under Kyle's delusion. "Seifer, I love you," she professed. He kissed her on the forehead and said, "I love you too, Quistis." They began to kiss deeply and soon reached the point of no return. Suddenly, Kyle had a feeling that someone was near. Not just someone, but a sorceress. 'They've come for Quistis, and they've brought a sorceress! How did they know that I'm a sorcerer? I have to go stop them before they find me!' he thought. He gently broke the embrace.  
  
"I have to leave you, but only for a moment," he said, getting up from the bed. She pouted and said, "Promise you'll be back soon?" He nodded and gave her a kiss, then left the room.  
  
He closed and locked the door behind him, then pulled on a cloak. He teleported through the wall to greet the intruders.  
  
  
  
~BACK TO PRESENT~  
  
  
  
Rinoa could hardly breathe as her cloaked aggressor brought her to a secret room. He threw her into a locked room and slammed the door behind him. She ran to the door and pounded on it, which set off an electric force field. The force of the electricity caused her to be thrown across the room into a wall, and knocked her unconscious.  
  
The assailant watched the whole episode with glee. 'There's no way she'll get out of there. Without her, they'll never be able to find Quistis, and she'll be all mine!' he thought. An arrogant chuckle erupted from the depths of his throat and escaped his smirking mouth. He deliciously licked his lips, then left with a swish of the cloak. 'Mustn't keep Quistis waiting…'  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Quistis lay on the bed face up, looking at the ceiling. The white swirls on the ceiling mingled perfectly with the elegant pink walls. She looked over at her door, which was closed. It was white with pink flowers painted on the sides. She began to close her eyes, but she suddenly sat upright in her bed. Her golden tresses hung down her trembling shoulders. 'I don't remember flowers on my door! ALL doors in Garden are the electronic, ugly gray ones. Where am I?' She looked around, and saw some subtle differences. 'This definitely is NOT my room. What's happened to me?'  
  
She put her head in her hands and thought of her last full memory. The last hour was a total blur, which scared her. 'Last I clearly remember, I was with Kyle. He was holding me, and he whispered something. Then I was with Seifer all of a sudden…'  
  
Her eyebrows raised as she realized what happened. 'I wasn't with Seifer at all—it was Kyle the whole time! He must have put me under a spell! Which means…' her thoughts trailed off. She whispered the rest of the thought: "…I almost slept with Kyle!" She clasped a hand over her mouth at the thought.  
  
She heard footsteps approaching the door. She froze, not even breathing.  
  
'He doesn't know I'm out of his spell!' she frantically thought.  
  
The doorknob clicked.  
  
Her eyes widened with panic and she looked around the room. There was NO way she could let him find out that she wasn't under his trance anymore. 'What do I do?' she thought. Suddenly, a little light bulb in her head went off. She smiled as the door opened.  
  
The door creaked open slowly, the man behind it oblivious as to what was about to happen…  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Yay! I love writing this story, but have been SO busy! I'm glad to be posting this chapter! I really liked it; but I have a feeling I'll like the next chapter even MORE; that is, when I write it. *^_^* Well, I have one demand: 50 reviews and I'll post the next chapter! Oh, come on, that's only 4 more!  
  
One last thing: Do you think I made Rinoa too brave and/or intellectual? Just wondering… 


	9. Fighting Back

"SEIFERRRRRRRR! AHHHHHH!" Quistis jumped up from the bed and ran to Kyle. She jumped into his arms, screaming frantically. "Help! There's a rat in here! Oh, Hyne! I HATE RATS!" Kyle stumbled backward under Quistis' added weight. They crashed through the door, and landed on the floor outside.  
  
"Oh, Seifer! Just go in and kill it!" she screamed at the top of her voice. Kyle put a hand over her mouth and said, "Shh, stop screaming. I'll go kill it now; I'll be right back. Now no yelling!" He walked into the room thinking, 'She'll spoil everything if Seifer hears her!'  
  
But little did he know, that was exactly what she aimed to do. She paused while he went into the room. As soon as he entered, she got up and ran full speed away, keeping as silent as humanly possible. 'Hyne, let this work! This wasn't the brightest idea ever, but…' she stopped thinking, and concentrated on running. She was already several corridors away from where she last left Kyle.  
  
~*~  
  
Seifer, Selphie and Zell froze in their tracks when they heard the shouts. They sounded fairly close by, by Selphie's estimate. All three knew instantly whom the voice belonged to. "Quistis!" they shouted in unison. "Come on guys, this way!" Selphie exclaimed, and they rounded a corner, in pursuit of their comrade.  
  
~*~  
  
Squall and Irvine stopped in their tracks when they heard the shouts. "Could it be…" said Squall. Irvine finished the thought: "Quistis?" Squall nodded and said, "Let's move! The shouts came from the end of this corridor!" The two men proceeded to run full speed down the passageway.  
  
~*~  
  
Her blood furiously pumped through her body, and her heart thundered in her chest. She tried with all her might to quiet her frantic footsteps against the concrete, and her frenzied gasps for air. She knew it was only a matter of time before…  
  
~*~  
  
Kyle looked around the room for the imaginary rodent. "Strange, there's no rat. Oh well, maybe it left. Now let me make sure everything is in order…" He teleported to Rinoa's room for a moment, and saw that she was still out cold. "Should I take her weapon…nah," he said as teleported back to the fantasy bedroom. He strode over to the doorway and peeked out. "Quistis?" he called. His only reply was the echo of his own voice and the empty corridor. "Quistis?!" he angrily repeated. Still, the only response was his own furious cry. His eyebrows furrowed into a glower. "QUISITS!" he bellowed in rage. He proceeded to run down the corridors in search of his captive.  
  
~*~  
  
When she heard Kyle's infuriated shout, a wave of dread crashed over her; she forced herself to go faster. As she came to a fork in the passages, the thought, 'No matter what, I have to escape…'  
  
~*~  
  
Seifer and his two companions ran towards an intersection; they could hear approaching footsteps, and weren't sure if they were echoes or…  
  
~*~  
  
Squall and Irvine moved forward to a juncture in the passages of the sewers. They, too, heard running footsteps as they advanced. 'What is that sound?' Squall asked himself.  
  
~*~  
  
In the flash of a moment, the six separated comrades reunited in a single collision. Arms met with heads, shoulders, legs, and torsos as they smashed together. "OW!" they all cried, then realization hit. "OH MY HYNE!" they all screamed in unison. The six looked in disbelief at each other, and then began to embrace. Irvine and Selphie kissed; Zell hugged Squall, only to be pushed to the concrete; Quistis and Seifer kissed for a moment, then Seifer began to look her over. "If that bastard hurt you, I swear, I'll kill him!" he growled.  
  
Quistis, still out of breath, said, "He hypnotized me to think I was with you, and I almost—" her voice caught in her throat, "I almost slept with him." She began to hiccup with tears. Each hiccup shook her shoulders, and Seifer took her into his arms. "He's after me, Seifer," she sobbed into his chest. He closed his eyes and held the back of her head with his hand gently. His other arm securely held her across her waist. The embrace told her everything he couldn't express in words. She felt so safe, so secure in Seifer's arms; she never wanted to let go.  
  
"Aw, this is so sweet. So sorry to break it up!"  
  
Seifer turned his enraged gaze to Kyle, who was poised with Katal blades, ready to strike. Seifer unsheathed his Hyperion and said, "I won't let you get away with this! You're gonna pay, bastard!" He and Kyle lunged at each other at precisely the same moment. Katal met with Hyperion; bullets met with magic; blades met with blades. In the middle of their combat, a new weapon entered the mix. Save the Queen. Its tip wrapped around Kyle's wrist, temporarily immobilizing one Katal blade. "Now!" Quistis shouted, blue eyes gleaming in the light. Seifer took Kyle's surprise to his advantage and dealt the final blow. He sliced through Kyle's flesh, watching as the crimson blood splashed over the floor. He gasped and fell to the floor. Kyle began to cough up blood. "Q-Quistis…I loved you…but you w-won't get away. This whole pla-place will blow in five minutes. Good bye…" His eyes rolled backward, and he fell to the floor. His body disintegrated into the floor, and soon was gone.  
  
The six SeeDs looked in awe at what remained of the battle. Nothing but a bloodstained concrete floor. Quistis took a deep breath in to steady her frantically beating heart. "We've gotta move, unless getting blown up sounds like fun to you! Now we—" Quistis paused and looked around, "Where's. Rinoa?" she slowly, fearfully asked.  
  
Everyone's heart plunged to the floor as they remembered their lost comrade. Quistis said, "We have about four minutes before the place goes up. Follow me," and sprinted full speed down the corridor. The five SeeDs followed her.  
  
~*~  
  
Rinoa stirred slightly as she awoke in a strange room. "Hmm?" she moaned as she stood up. "Ow!" she exclaimed. Pain shot up her left arm, and she saw that blood was dripping out of a laceration. Her pinwheel cut her arm, as she was knocked unconscious. Hastily tearing a piece of her shirt off, she tightly wrapped it around the wound. 'That'll have to do for now… So, this is definitely where Kyle left me…' she thought. 'Maybe since he's not here, the force field won't work?' she asked herself, tentatively approaching the door. She picked up a small rock and threw it at the door. To her relief, nothing happened. "Thank Hyne," she said as she secured her hold on her Shooting Star, turned the doorknob, and then left. "Now to find the others!" she declared, and then ran down the passage.  
  
~*~  
  
Squall and Quistis led the others down the corridor in search of Rinoa. "We have about three minutes!" Selphie reported. The pressure of the situation weighed down upon all of them; anxiety took over as they frantically searched for her. "Over there! What's that?" Squall pointed over to a beam of light. They all ran over, and saw that it was coming from a solid concrete wall. "Back off," Seifer growled, and then whispered, "Firaga." The spell smashed the stone wall and revealed a door, slightly ajar. "Rinoa?" Squall called as he hurriedly entered.  
  
"Two minutes," Selphie said anxiously.  
  
Squall looked around the dismal cell, and saw that Rinoa wasn't there. "RINOA!" he shouted, then ran out the room. "She's not in there!" he shouted, on the verge of hysteria. "RINOA, WHERE ARE YOU?!" he screamed out loud, hoping that she would hear.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" Irvine inquired, pointing to a red smear on the ground. He knelt down and put his fingers in. "Blood," he deduced, "—and still warm. It goes that way," he pointed down yet another passage.  
  
"That's gotta be Rinoa; no time to waste. Let's go!" Quistis shouted. Everyone swiftly ran down the corridor, following the trail of blood spots.  
  
~*~  
  
Rinoa halted in her spot. "Squall?" she whispered. "SQUALL?!" she shouted. 'Maybe I should go back—I'm positive that was Squall…' she thought, doing an about-haste and running back.  
  
  
  
After she ran off, a figure rested in her spot. "You're not getting away without one last duel—with ME…' the voice menacingly whispered. A slight ray of light illuminated one side of his face: bloodstained, but bearing the same smirk as always. His chocolate eyes sparkled as he disappeared into the shadows.  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Howdy! Hope you guys liked that chapter! And thanks again for all the great reviews! 51 baby! WOO HOO! But sadly, the end in nearing… :C 


	10. Fabrication

The unrelenting man stood in the light for only a moment, then sunk back into the shadows, quietly following Rinoa. He smugly thought to himself, 'Ah, the wonders of a couple Curaga spells, and perfect acting skills…'  
  
~*~  
  
Unaware as to Kyle's presence behind her, she ran toward Squall and the others. She pushed herself to run at full speed; the last thing she wanted was to get ambushed by the dangerous monsters inhabiting the sewers. She rushed through the corridors and wrought iron gates, narrowly avoiding several Creeps and Red Bats. Finally, she approached a junction in the paths.  
  
'This must be it!' she thought in relief.  
  
~*~  
  
Squall, Quistis, and the others stood in hesitancy; if they left, Rinoa might not find them; if they stayed, they would all be killed.  
  
Selphie broke everyone's thoughts. In a trembling voice, she said, "We have twenty seconds."  
  
Quistis collected her thoughts and courage and said, "Then you all have to go. Rinoa is my best friend. I can't leave her behind. The exit is right there," she pointed toward a hole in the ceiling, with a ladder going up to it, "Hurry!" Then she ran back into the shadows of the sewers.  
  
With tears in her eyes, Selphie reluctantly ran to the ladder and began to climb for her life. She called over her shoulder, "Ten seconds!"  
  
Irvine and Zell ran to her and began to climb as well.  
  
  
  
"Nine seconds!"  
  
  
  
Squall and Seifer shook their heads and followed Quistis. They would never forgive themselves if Rinoa and Quistis died. The two men followed Quistis into the darkness of the sewer tunnels.  
  
  
  
"Eight seconds!"  
  
  
  
Irvine halted at the base of the ladder. Quistis, Squall, and Seifer were his comrades. They battled Ultimecia and weathered the entire ordeal together; he couldn't ditch them now. He leaped from the ladder and ran into the tunnel.  
  
  
  
"Seven seconds!"  
  
  
  
Zell shook his head and muttered, "Damn it all…" as he followed Irvine down the ladder. There was no way he could leave his partners—no, friends—out to dry. He jumped off the ladder and ran to the opening.  
  
  
  
"Six seconds…"  
  
  
  
Selphie muttered the countdown to herself. She was alone, clutching the rusty ladder.  
  
  
  
"Five…"  
  
  
  
She looked up to the surface, the gleaming lights of Deling City nightlife sparkling through the night. Shaking her head, she descended the ladder. "No way I can leave them…I know they'd do the same for me…" She said.  
  
  
  
"Four…"  
  
  
  
"Here we go!" she shouted as she jumped off the ladder and slammed to the ground.  
  
  
  
"Three!"  
  
  
  
She followed Zell into the musty tunnel.  
  
  
  
"Two!"  
  
  
  
She caught up to Zell and Irvine, and they all stopped running. Squall, Seifer, and Quistis were nowhere to be seen. She clasped Irvine's hand in fear, and squeezed tightly.  
  
  
  
"One!"  
  
  
  
Selphie and Irvine huddled together and Zell braced himself against the impending explosion. Suddenly, a massive explosion pummeled their eardrums and shook the floor beneath them. The walls of the sewers began to crumble, and Selphie screamed. The force knocked Zell to the ground, causing his head to slam into the concrete. He was immediately knocked unconscious.  
  
As quickly as it started, the rumbling ended, leaving the uneasy silence. Selphie collected her wits and checked on Zell. "Zell! Can you hear me?" she shouted and gently shook his shoulder. He groaned and winced. As he came around, he asked, "Am I dead?"  
  
Irvine replied, "Does this look like heaven? You were just knocked unconscious!"  
  
Selphie hardened her gaze toward Irvine. "Stop it. This is very serious. Now, is anyone seriously hurt? Any broken bones?" Irvine extended his arms and legs, then shook his head. "I'm all right. How about you, Zell?"  
  
Selphie lit a match and held Zell's head steady with her hand. She used the light and looked into his eyes. "I don't think you have a concussion, but we still need to get you to a hospital as soon as possible."  
  
Irvine began to say something, but Selphie quickly hushed him by putting a finger onto his lips. She pointed to her ear, motioning for them to listen. She heard nothing, which worried her. "Rinoa?! Quistis?!" she shouted. The three heard the echoes of her voice off the walls, but no response came. "Squall?! Seifer?!" she attempted to call the others one more time. But to her dismay, no one answered her calls. Selphie's reply was her own ricocheting voice. She finally said, "We have to find them. They could be unconscious, or unable to speak. But above all, we need to stay together! Come on!" Irvine put his arm around Zell to steady him, and the three walked further into the tunnel.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"Quistis! Squall!" A few seconds before the sewers were to go up, Rinoa reunited with her best friend and boyfriend. "Thank Hyne you're safe!" Squall said, relieved.  
  
In an urgent tone, Quistis said, "Brace yourselves! The place is gonna blow up—" the loud explosion interrupted her sentence. The force of the blast threw Quistis into Seifer, who was standing behind her. The two fell to the ground as the decrepit sewer walls cracked. Rinoa screamed as a falling piece of stone from the ceiling narrowly missed her.  
  
As rapidly as the forceful explosion came, the shaking stopped, and an uncomfortable silence ensued. Quistis groaned as she rose. "Is everyone all right?" she asked.  
  
Seifer rubbed his head and replied, "Well, I'm still here." Squall said, "Yeah, I'm all right." He looked over to Rinoa, who was sitting on the ground, moaning. Quistis ran over to her and said, "What's wrong? Are you all right?"  
  
Rinoa shook her head as her eyelids fluttered. A small trickle of blood made its way down her chin. Quistis held her up and put her hand under her head for support. She felt a warm, sticky fluid on her fingers, and when she looked at them, they were covered in blood. She gasped and put her bloodstained hand onto Rinoa's head. "Curaga." The curative spell moved into Rinoa's body, sealing her wounds. "Curaga," she said again, to make sure that Rinoa was all right.  
  
Rinoa sat up and smiled. "Wow, thank you, Quistis. A minute ago, I thought I was going to die. Now I feel re-energized." She stood, but Quistis put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, the spell is very effective, but only for a short time. We need to bring you to a hospital, because the effects will wear off in a couple hours."  
  
She looked to Squall and Seifer. "We have to find the others and get out of here. The place could go up at any time."  
  
Seifer quizzically looked at her. "Wasn't that it? We all obviously felt the explosion."  
  
She shook her head. "Kyle told me that he had enough firepower to take out all three Gardens, with some to spare. That explosion was nothing compared to what could have happened."  
  
Rinoa asked, "What does it mean?"  
  
Quistis replied, "It means that the 'explosion' was a fake. It was staged to get you guys out of here. In other words, Kyle must have been alive to simulate the detonation."  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Kyle listened to Quistis' deduction with furor. The 'blast' was supposed to drive everyone away except Quistis. Kyle knew that she wouldn't be able to desert her best friend. He hadn't anticipated that her comrades would come to look for Rinoa as well.  
  
'Oh well,' he thought. 'Plenty more Quake and Meteor spells where that came from…' 


	11. Blood & Betrayal

Hey all! I've finally learned how to use HTML, so everyone's thoughts will be in _italics from here on in. Okay? All right, without further ado, here's the long overdue Chapter Eleven!_

~*~

Kyle was frustrated as he leaned against the cracked wall. Nothing was going the way he wanted. Rinoa escaped her prison. Though he was able to lure Quistis back into the sewers, all her comrades came too. 

But there was a big advantage he held. Their party was divided. He contemplated on how he would get rid of Quistis' pesky friends. 

I think I'll go after those three near the ladder. What were their names again? Zell, Irvine, and Selphie? Yeah, they'll be the first to go…Watch out, Quistis. I'll have you, no matter what.

He let an excited chuckle escape from his lips as he went in pursuit of the three lost party members.

~*~

Quistis turned her head sharply to a dark corner of the tunnel they were in. _What was that? It sounded like a giggle. She frowned, clutched her Save the Queen, and cautiously walked to the spot she heard the laugh from. Shadows concealed the spot, so she lashed her whip into the black space. She made no contact with anything. __So why did I get the distinct feeling that someone was there?_

~*~

Zell held his head as he walked with Irvine and Selphie through the dim corridors. "Guys, we are _so lost. I swear we passed that waterwheel like four times," he said. Selphie looked around with a disappointed expression. She was usually such a good navigator. _

Noticing her frustration, Irvine reached for her hand. Giving it a reassuring squeeze, he said, "Don't worry about it, Selph. We'll find the others and get out of here. After all, who first piloted the Ragnarok?" Selphie gave a slight smile and said, "I did."

"And you've got the best navigational skills out of anyone in _any Garden!" he continued. Selphie's cheeks tinged pink as she kissed Irvine's lips gently. "Thanks, Irvy. You know just how to make me feel better."  
A harsh voice interrupted the sentimental moment. "Aw, how sweet. Just wait here while I __puke!"_

The three looked to the intruder, and Selphie screamed. 

"How is this possible!? Seifer _killed you!" Zell shouted, while readjusting his Ergheiz. _

Kyle gave a disgusted look. "Well, he obviously didn't kill me off for good, now _did he? Anyway, I'm not here for idle chitchat. I'm here to kill you all. Now hold still; this won't hurt a bit." His coffee colored eyes sparkled with adrenaline. __Ah, the feeling of looking at my targets, just before I kill them…_

Irvine stepped in front of Selphie, and cocked his Exeter. "You'll have to get through me first!" He began unloading his most powerful ammo, Pulse Ammo, at Kyle. Irvine fired the highly potent bullets as fast as he could. But to his dismay, Kyle had some sort of force-field surrounding him, and the bullets were consequently ricocheted in all directions. He stopped shooting when he heard the anguished scream from behind him.

He turned his frightened eyes to Selphie, who was lying on the concrete ground, screaming. He let his Exeter crash to the ground as he rushed to her side. She was bleeding dark crimson blood from a hole in her chest. "Hyne_, NO!" Irvine bellowed. Selphie was now gasping and wheezing; the bullet had pierced her right lung._

Zell looked at the heart wrenching scene, and his fury built. Soon, beams of golden light emanated from his body; he was in Limit Break. "For your sake, I hope that shield protects you from my fists!" Zell cried, as he began to unleash a devastating flurry of attacks.

Unfortunately for Kyle, it didn't. It also didn't help that he didn't have his Katal with him. The different moves Zell had acquired from his treasured _Combat King issues were coming in handy at that moment. _

"_Punch Rush!" His fists met with Kyle's unprotected form, and Kyle shrinked back with pain. But Zell wouldn't let up; not now._

"_Booya! Heel Drop!" Zell's power increased with every blow. Kyle was quickly folding under Zell's deluge of attacks._

"_Meteor Strike! **My Final Heaven!" The finishing blows solidly connected with Kyle's broken, bloodied form, sending him through the air, and connecting with the cement wall behind him.**_

Kyle lay on the ground, unconscious. His limbs were badly bruised, and blood poured through his nose and a gash on his arm. In other words, he got exactly what he deserved.

Zell looked to Irvine and Selphie. He still crouched next to Selphie on the hard ground, but her skin was pale and turning a bluish shade. She was dying.

A flood of tears ran down Irvine's face. There was nothing he could do for her. One moment ago, he was kissing her; now he was watching her meet Death.

Zell hopelessly watched. _I read somewhere that if you put a piece of plastic to a bullet wound in the chest, it will keep them alive. He reached into his pockets with a dreadful feeling arising in the pit of his stomach. __Who carries around plastic in their pockets—he paused in mid-thought as he pulled out a scrap of plastic wrapper from his vest pocket. _

He ran to Selphie and placed the plastic wrapper over the bloody gunshot wound. The crimson blood stained his hands, but he paid no attention to it. _Selphie, you gotta make it! Hyne, you can take me instead, but leave her here!" _

As if she was listening to his thoughts, her eyes snapped open as she sharply gasped a breath of air in. The bluish tint faded from her skin, but she was wheezing and gulping air as fast as she could. She looked so frail, and she was laying in a pool of her own blood, making her look like she would go at any moment.

Irvine gave Zell a gratified look and asked, "How the hell did you have a spare piece of plastic in your pocket?" Zell chuckled and said, "Before we left Garden to go on this mission, I wanted to have one last hot dog in the cafeteria. I was working on my eighth hot dog, when I realized that it was time to leave. So I finished the last one in the car, and since there was no garbage, I put the plastic in my pocket. Doesn't Hyne work in mysterious ways?"

Irvine shook his head.  _I can't believe Zell's infatuation with hot dogs has just saved Selphie's life._

~*~

Quistis, Rinoa, Seifer, and Squall were alarmed at the sound of gunshots. They were even more alarmed of the screams, and obvious attacks that echoed through the walls of the sewers. During Zell's furious blows at Kyle, they ran through the passageways.  
"This way!" Rinoa shouted. "They're this way! And so is Kyle!"

Seifer shouted in rage, "_WHAT!? I killed him! There's no way he could have survived!"_

Rinoa replied, "Well, curative spells would have easily restored him. It's quite possible that he _did survive. Plus, my sorceress' instincts are never wrong. Now let's move; we're getting closer!"_

~*~

The four reached the scene just as Selphie began to stabilize. "What happened?" Quistis asked. She looked around the tunnel at Selphie's blood-soaked figure, Irvine's tear-streaked face, and Kyle's broken, bloodied, and unconscious form on the opposite side.

Zell looked at her and replied, "Irvine accidentally shot Selphie. I kicked Kyle's ass with my Limit Break. The only thing keeping her alive is this hot dog wrapper."

The far-out story boggled Quistis' mind. In shock, she asked, "Come again? Give me all the details!"  
Zell and Irvine told the entire story to Quistis, Seifer, Squall, and Rinoa. The four stood in disbelief as they looked at the scene around them, and heard the story.

~~  
At the end of Zell and Irvine's recount of the events, Rinoa ran over to Selphie's side, next to Irvine. "Oh Hyne," she was on the verge of tears, "If we don't get help for her soon, she really _will be in serious trouble. If I cast Curaga on her, the lung may not heal properly, resulting in further harm done. Let's find the exit and get out of here while Kyle's still out of it!"_

"Speaking of Kyle…" Quistis trailed off. She walked over to his horribly beaten body on the cold cement. Kneeling down next to him, she took his pulse. He was alive, just badly hurt. Still crouched, she looked to everyone and said, "He could wake at any time. Let's not waste any time getting out of here!"

Unfortunately, she didn't see their shocked expressions until it was too late. Kyle grabbed Quistis from behind and held a rusty knife to her throat. She gasped with surprise and pain from his tight hold on her. "Funny how planning ahead makes for such benefits," he said. 

Seifer prepared to cast a Firaga spell, but Kyle stood, holding Quistis in front of him. Kyle rolled his eyes and said, "Oh please. I have no interest in killing any of you. Though it may be tempting…Wall." A solid rock wall emerged from the ground, blocking the exit. "You may all leave, but only if you leave Quistis with me. When you give me your word, I'll lower the wall, and you will be free to leave. Your freedom in exchange for Quistis. Do we have a deal?"

"Never!" growled Seifer. He ran at Kyle with his Hyperion's deadly blade aimed. But he never made it, because a huge crevice opened between Kyle and Quistis, and the rest of the party. Kyle laughed and said, "You won't get her back, Seifer. Just leave!"

Seifer's vibrant eyes reflected defeat. As long as Kyle had that magic, there was no way to defeat him. Unwillingly, he finally said, "Fine. We'll leave."

~*~

**AN: Woah, what's this? Seifer's gonna leave Quistis behind!? And why won't Kyle die!? Will Selphie make it through this?**

Hehehe, that's the best part about being an author; I can do whatever I want! MUAhahahahahhaha!

Anyway, press that purple button, and let me know what ya think of this chapter! And maybe, just maybe, I'll continue…Okay, I will. You guys are so nice to me! Look at this! 65 reviews! You, the reviewers, officially ROCK!

Until next time, I'm outta here!

~Mari~


	12. Familiar Face, Familiar Place

Everyone reacted to Seifer's resignation with shock. 

Quistis gasped, also partially due to the fact that the blade was pressed into her neck. She choked out, "What! Seifer, you're going to leave me out to dry?" Her voice reflected sheer fury at his actions, but her eyes threatened to spill over with tears of betrayal.

Selphie's labored breathing quickened, and she tried to speak. No sound came out, so she turned her pale face to Seifer, and gave a look of pure disgust. She mouthed the words, "How could you?" and began to wheeze. Irvine firmly held the plastic to her wound, shaking his head all the while.

Zell, who was usually never short on words, had trouble forming a coherent sentence. "Wha—you—I—No way!" He fisted his hands and finally sighed. "Dude…" he said with a dismayed tone, shaking his head.

Kyle, on the other hand, couldn't have been more delighted. He threw his head back and gave an ecstatic roar of laughter, not noticing that Quistis had shrunk back with detest.

Seifer looked away from Quistis, and sheathed his Hyperion. 

Irvine turned around and looked to Kyle, then Seifer. "Since when do you speak for all of us, Seifer?" he coldly asked. "If we were to leave, only Hyne knows what would happen to Quistis! Plus, how are we supposed to get Selphie out of here without seriously hurting her?"

Without letting his grip of the knife slip, Kyle whispered, "Float". Selphie's body lifted off the floor, and Irvine quickly stood up to keep his hold on the plastic steady. She was parallel to the ground, and moving over to Kyle. As she moved, Irvine's hold on her never faltered.

Kyle held his hand over her bloody gunshot wound and whispered a phrase in Latin. The blood disappeared slowly from the yellow fabric of Selphie's dress; Irvine felt the wound seal under his fingertips. Soon, the only evidence that remained was a hole in the front of her dress. She came back to the ground, and she stood. Taking in a deep breath, she looked to Kyle in shock. "What kind of magic was that?" As a master of spells, she had never seen one like that before; she was astonished at the potency of the spell, and that her wound had healed properly.

Kyle simply said, "It's an old spell I learned a long time ago. It's powerful, all right, but it won't last. By the time you reach the city above, the effects will begin to wear off. You'll have enough time to get to a hospital before you go back to your previous state."

Selphie opened her mouth to ask another question, but Kyle interrupted and said, "It's impossible to heal you fully and permanently. Magic is no substitute for the natural healing process." Selphie shut her mouth; he had precisely answered the question she was about to ask.

Kyle looked around at everyone. "You can see that I really don't want to hurt any of you. I just want you to leave," he simply said. In response, he lowered the huge wall back into the ground. "Now go."

Quistis looked in terror at the sight of her comrades leaving her behind. One by one, they walked across the floor, toward the exit. Her best friends in the world, they were leaving her behind. The very same ones that she beat Ultimecia with, they left her here in these musty tunnels, with a deranged man. 

Standing in disbelief, she simply watched in shock as they left her. Squall, Zell, Irvine, Rinoa, Selphie…Seifer. Last to step over the threshold into freedom, he didn't even look back to her. Suddenly, the wall went back up, sealing the exit once more. Instead of Seifer's retreating form, she saw nothing but cold stone. 

A lone tear fell down her cheek. Rage, betrayal, loneliness, and terror were contained in that tiny droplet of water. But she didn't have much time to reflect upon her mixed emotions, because a deafening explosion knocked her and Kyle to the ground.

Even louder than before, the blast caused the walls to crumble, the aging floors to crack open, and water to rush into the room. It seemed as if the entire face of the earth was trembling from the force of it.

But as suddenly as it started, the noise went away, and the shaking subsided. Just like the last (fabricated) explosion, it left Kyle and Quistis sitting on the cracked floor, stunned.

"What the hell…" Kyle murmured, holding his head. He rose from the floor and walked over to where the wall had stood. The place was horribly trashed; it was quiet, which unnerved Quistis. Waterwheels were yards away from their original positions; water was everywhere in puddles (the largest of which would have served as a fine swimming pool); and chunks of concrete were in jumbled piles everywhere. She looked up and the ceiling (for the most part) had miraculously held up. Those parts of the ceiling that had fell gave a great view of the Deling City nightlife. Looking over to the walls, she saw that they were badly charred.

"Must have underestimated the power of those munitions," Kyle said, shaking his head. "And the timing was _way_ off. It shouldn't have gone off until _after_ we left."

"What?" she asked. She didn't get what had just happened.

"It was supposed to go up about thirty seconds later than it did. By that time, we would have teleported out of here, and they wouldn't have reached the exit. I suppose all's well; they were _sure_ not to have made it…"

Quistis slumped into a pile on the floor. He eyes widened, and pupils dilated as she came to the horrible realization. "You…killed them!" She couldn't believe it. "Everyone's…gone? Oh Hyne…" Her eyes rolled backward, exposing the milky whites. She lost consciousness and crashed to the floor.

He watched her, shaking his head. _Eh, she'll forget all about it when I hypnotize her later… _"Agh!" he cried out, as he winced with pain. _Zell, that bastard. He really took it out of me._

~*~

As Quistis woke, she was in her dorm room. Checking the door, it was the same gray electronic door from Garden. Everything was the same, down to the window furnishings and soap in the bathroom. _What happened?_

Three short raps came at the door. "Who is it?" she called. A familiar voice answered her. "It's Edea! Are you all right, Quistis?"

She hurriedly opened the door, and indeed, it was her Matron standing there to greet her. "Matron!" They hugged for a moment, then Quistis asked, "What happened? How did I get here?"

Edea smiled slightly, but her eyes reflected sorrow. "You were in and out when we brought you back; no wonder you don't remember anything. Here, sit and I'll tell you what happened in those dreadful sewers."  
Quistis stood for a moment. "But what about Kyle? Is he still out there?"

Edea motioned for Quistis to take a seat. "I'll tell you the entire story, from the beginning…"

~*~

**A/N: **No, of course I'm not gonna tell you what happened while Quistis was unconscious! That's for the next chapter! I know this was a little short, but I wanted to stop before telling the story; it'll be pretty long. So don't worry, the next chapter will make up for any lameness this one may have exhibited!

Now I want to give some special shout-outs to those awesome people who've really supported me!****

**Faltering Hues: **First of all, I want to thank you for reviewing all those chapters and giving me such great words of confidence! (You were also the first reviewer of this story! ^_~) You're such a sweet person, and you make me feel very special when I read your reviews. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!

**Quistis' Twin Sister Sunny:** You're right up there with FH, Sunny. You've reviewed every chapter, and given me great comments all through the updates. You were also one of the faithful reviewers of "Going Once, Twice, SOLD!". I really appreciate it, Sunny.

And also, thanks to **Vick330 and Athena88!**

And a note to **Goddess Safiru of Emeraldas: **Under Microsoft Word, you type up your chapter, and save it as a web page. Hope you read this, and it helps you! ^_~

**Last thought:** Do you guys think I'm dragging the story out too much? Should I end it already? Ah well, it's almost done anyways ***cries* **Anyways, comments appreciated!

Anyway, be on the lookout for lucky chapter number 13. It may just POP up when you least expect it to…

Bye!

~Mari~


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